I've been saying, very vocally, that Lee Mears is **** ever since I signed up to TRF 5 years ago. And Lee Mears wasn't a special case and like every other Hooker in the UK was also selected to go on the Lions Tour. He only played because Jerry Flannary buggered his elbow, otherwise he would have been a reserve choice long behind Ford with Rees on the bench.
International selection, particularly England, does not necessarily mean a player is of any high standard these days... Steve "does f*** all" Borthwick is captain after all. Then the last few years have proven more of the same with the likes of Payne, Chuter, Deacon, Corry, Ellis, Goode, Sackey, Paul, Farrell, Varndell & Balshaw all testament to the fact.
Mears was a stop gap player in an era when England have been at their absolute worst - Purely because the talent was ignored. He's too small, he's too fat, he can't hook the bloody ball, his lineout is actually just as wonky as Thomson, Chuter, Ibanez, Lawson or Hartley have ever been and he doesn't get stuck in at the breakdown, preferring instead to bugger around in the midfield.
He may have a decent rugby brain on him, but he wasn't blessed with the physique of someone like O'Driscoll or Henson which his chosen playing style demands.
You could almost say that Lee Mears wants to be Shalk Brits. The way his fans talk about him, anyone new to the game would think he's better then the South African.
